Boys wellbeing high on the agenda at TSS

Boys wellbeing high on the agenda at TSS

In a national first, The Southport School (TSS) has created a new role that will focus on bridging the gap between mental health prevention and intervention.

We are pleased to announce Caitlin Anderson as the School’s new Wellbeing Health Promotion Officer – a role that will see her develop a continuous program of support across the whole school for boys in Preschool to Year 12.

As an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and wellbeing mentor, Caitlin brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing and implementing programs that are structured toward creating a holistic approach to overall health, through positive psychology and targeted information.

“TSS have already implemented a number of wellbeing initiatives for students, however I endeavor to access all available resources as well as national and state-wide policies, to assist in the development and ongoing management of a bespoke wellbeing health program within the school.” Miss Anderson said.

“There’s a lot of information out there already but we want to create more accessibility to that information, so I’m looking at creating an online medium for the boys for example, that they can access on their phones and from home.”

Caitlin has previously worked with youth at risk on the Men of Business (MOB) Program and has more recently managed a 6-week program focused around nutrition and several other wellbeing activities such as gardening, yoga and personal training.

“While these programs were successful, they were very intervention based whereas we will be tailoring our program toward preventative methods that will give practical strategies the boys can use to support themselves rather than waiting for problems to arise.

“My position here further demonstrates TSS’ commitment to social and emotional wellbeing.”

TSS Director of Counselling and Wellbeing Health Dr Angela Zagoren said Miss Anderson’s first major role will be to conduct a full audit, looking at what the school does from a wellbeing prospective.

“One thing that sets TSS apart is our approach to holistic education. We recognise that academics alone does not create the person, and we need to prioritise learning and personal growth through a variety of psychological and physical wellbeing initiatives,” Dr Zagoren said.

“We use the term, “Wellbeing Health” at TSS to remind boys and staff that our mind and body are not separate entities but are intrinsically interconnected and we require strategies that support both.

“It’s also a national first to have someone with dietician qualifications within a school; while it’s not her primary focus, it’s a resource that TSS has available for all boys and staff.”